Comments by "pplr1" (@pplr1) on "U.S. Policy Is Sailing Towards Disaster" video.

This episode leaves me less than impressed with the usually good Majority Report. Taiwan is not simply a province of China's. When "China" 1st joined the UN the seat was given to Taiwan and mainland China was seen as a province of the government in Taiwan. Now the sane thing to do would've simply been to recognize there are 2 separate governments from a civil war that never had a decisive end with 1 side surrendering. During all the negotiations about recognizing mainland China that included switching the UN seat to to it the US said it will support peaceful reunification of China. If China invades Taiwan that is not peaceful reunification. Those weapons would be so Taiwan could defend itself against an invasion from China. Taiwan is not attacking China nor threatening to do so. Finland and Sweden decided to join NATO because they are geographically near Russia and Russia's current ruler has decided to start waging imperialistic wars. That is not US policy causing threats but Putin's aggression. The professor also failed to mention that Norway has long been a part of NATO and is already in the Arctic. Finland simply has a longer border region with Russia. The professor also failed to mention that China has been grabbing islands in the South China Sea based on claims the International Tribunals have ruled are not valid and compete with claims of about half a dozen other nations. This is China being aggressive locally-at least the professor acknowledged China was trying to bully other nations. 1 thing I and the professor agree on is that North Korea is ruled by a "dynasty". Whoever thought feudal monarchy would be the form of leadership selection practiced by a supposedly communist state.
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@Drownedinblood Republic of China. That is the official name of the government of Taiwan. Kind of like how the official name of China is the People's Republic of China. 2 sides of a civil war that never totally finished. However the RoC when through reforms to become a democracy where the votes and views of its citizens mattered.
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I believe it is "tankie" but yes. I wonder how relatives of Hungarians oppressed by Russian tanks think about Orban's earlier actions to hinder support for Ukraine. But that is a side issue and much older historically.
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@JohnnyTheWolf-d3p Ukrainians are really concerned about Ukraine. And to his credit Biden tried to discourage Putin from invading. Putin decided to anyway. And Putin cares so little for most Russians that he is willing to use Russian bodies to cause use up the last Ukrainian bullet. Since the USA was part of encouraging Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons the USA has an obligation to Ukraine beyond simple sympathy for a democracy under invasion by a dictator.
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@Cnichal In this situation China is trying to "bully" other nations.
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Talk to the people of Tibet and the Uyghers about Chinese oppression and genocide. Also isn't the US trying to air drop food to Palestinians as part of trying to prevent an genocide? How many US troops are in Gaza right now? How many US planes have been dropping bombs on Gaza?
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Actually for awhile mainland China was seen as part of Taiwan. Instead of doing the sensible thing and simple recognizing 2 nations that are fragments of a civil war that never ended with 1 side taking full control for decades people tried to refer to 1 or the other 1 as the official government for the 2 nations in practical speaking. Texas is not an independent nation and has not been for over a century. Taiwan has been functioning as an independent nation for decades. Taiwan even reformed itself to the point where honest elections happen and citizens vote their politicians in and out. So there is pretty clear difference.
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@KorhalKk Taiwan has been functional and practically independent since before the 1970s. Nations still play the game of which do they recognize as China but they are 2 different governments. Also Taiwan democratized so the KMT political party can be voted in or out of office and local Taiwanese people have become increasingly powerful. Historically many of them may have seen the Kuomintang as outsiders oppressing them but now the KMT has lost the last few elections for President the local Taiwanese people can be said to have real influence over their own government. Ironically it is the Kuomintang that mainland China's government would have preferred to win the elections because there are stronger connections between the Kuomintang and mainland China. Now the KMT moved to Taiwan many decades ago but if the KMT was seen as outsiders by local Taiwanese then the officials in Beijing are probably really seen as outsiders by locals.
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The US is not putting nuclear missiles in Taiwan. That is a very big difference. The Cuban Missile Crisis was resolved by removal of missiles from both Cuba and Turkey for the relief of both the USA and USSR. Taiwan being able to defend itself is not the same as nukes pointed at Beijing from Taiwan.
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Trump can only lead us down wrong path if he gets elected. I'm hoping to help prevent that.
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@Drownedinblood That China arguably controls Taiwan right now. The PRC never did.
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Putin's imperialistic invasion of Ukraine is not walking "into slaughter at America's behest". Do you victim blame often? Let the starter of wars off the hook often?
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Practically yes. And a much better place to live than mainland China-including with honest elections where citizens can vote. However legally the world never did the sane thing and simple recognize that the 2 governments are fragments of a civil war that never ended. Though part of the negotiations that involved giving the UN seat that Taiwan used to sit on to mainland China is support for peaceful reunification. But a mainland Chinese invasion is not peaceful reunification.
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@sudo4598 If given a choice they probably want independence. Though many of them probably also want the status quo to avoid ruffling feathers. After all why have a war if it is not needed to defend oneself. The problem there is can democracy in Taiwan be continued without an invasion from mainland China someday or will Taiwan's democracy have to fight in order to continue existing?
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@sudo4598 Agreed.
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